Accenture to acquire Ookla
Accenture to acquire Ookla, operator of Speedtest and other network intelligence platforms, for undisclosed terms.
Accenture is acquiring Seattle-based Ookla, a division of Ziff Davis with approximately 430 employees. Ookla operates Speedtest, RootMetrics, Downdetector, and Ekahau, which collect network performance data from over 250 million consumer-initiated tests monthly. The acquisition targets communications service providers, cloud hyperscalers, and enterprises seeking network optimization and AI infrastructure insights. Ookla's platform captures over 1,000 attributes per test, combining consumer tests with controlled drive, walk, and embedded testing. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, with terms undisclosed.
What HN community is saying
Commenters focused on whether the valuation justifies the technology alone. Consensus emerged that Ookla's value lies primarily in brand recognition, network effects, and decades of data accumulation rather than software complexity. Speedtest's dominance stems from being the first search result for "speed test" for years and ISP integration, not engineering sophistication. Several noted that recreating the software is trivial compared to rebuilding the user base and ISP relationships. One commenter flagged that ISPs may prioritize traffic during speedtest detection and that major providers (Netflix, Cloudflare, Google) have special-cased deals with ISPs. A minority questioned if Accenture overpaid, though most acknowledged the network moat is harder to replicate than code.